The Good, The Bad, The Wilde
by Pararaptor
Summary: Set about a year after the events of the movie. Nick and Judy have had good times and have become closer with each passing day. The same thing had been on their minds for months but they had been too scared to say anything. "I love you." Those three words could make or break their relationship. This is the story of their growing relationship and the hardships they will face.
1. The Date

**AN: I've been wanting to write this for a while but only just got around to doing it. I will try to update it at least two times a week, but with** school **it might end up being one time a week.**

Nick's Thoughts

Over the past few months, Nick had been struggling with his own thoughts. He had fully accepted that at this point, he was completely in love. To whom his heart pointed at was Judy. Judy Hopps, in his opinion, the most beautiful girl he'd ever met. At times he would be completely lost in her amethyst eyes. He lost too many hours of sleep thinking about her and it was beginning to affect his job. It wasn't like he hadn't tried saying something to her either. He'd attempted to ask her out on multiple occasions but backed out from fear of her response. He would always ask himself the same question afterward, why am I doing this to myself? This time, this time would be different.

…

It had been a relatively slow day for Nick and Judy. It was rather chilly out and very few mammals would be going out at that temperature. The only crime committed was a raccoon stealing the purse of an elderly fox. That had taken only ten minutes out of their nearly eight hour long day. Nick knew that Judy would be free that night and decided to finally go for it. "Hey Carrots, any chance you'd like to get some dinner with me and then maybe catch a movie?" Nick stuttered a small amount towards the end of the question. He immediately regretted asking and started to panic.

"That sounds great!" Nick wasn't even paying attention to what she was saying. He was already too deep in thought. What if she doesn't think of me in the way I think of her? What if I just messed everything up. He was ripped from thought when Judy placed a paw on his arm. "Are you okay? You kinda spaced out.

"I'm fine Fluff. I was just thinking."

She couldn't help but smirk. "That could be dangerous." Nick was usually really impulsive and only thought things through if it had to do with getting out of work. "Did you even hear what I said when you were thinking?"

Nick sighed, "No, I did not."

"Nick! You need to pay more attention." He whined internally wanting to hide his shame. "I said that it sounds great. Where would you like to go?"

"Well, I was thinking you could come over to my place." He noticed the confused look on Judy's face and continued. "I can cook us something to eat and then we could watch something on Zooflix. I know it's not the fanciest place for a first date." The color disappeared from Nick's face. What did I just do? Why am I so stupid.

A small devil that could only have been his conscience appeared on his shoulder. While you are stupid, I don't think she cares.

"It doesn't really need to be fancy, just make sure that you make something I can eat. That means no meat." Nick nodded. He knew exactly what Judy liked and was an astounding cook but he left those details out. He thought he should give her some form of a surprise for the date. Another thought popped into Judy's mind. "What time should I come over?"

"Around seven would work best." They could clock out around five, giving Nick about two hours to get home, prepare dinner, and groom himself. His house was usually kept pretty clean, so he could skip over cleaning. Nick grabbed a small sheet of paper and wrote his address. He lived near the border of Savannah Central in a small, two-bedroom house. On the inside, it seemed bigger because of the basement.

Judy was thinking for a bit and was about to speak but Nick interrupted her. "Hold that thought." She looked up to see what he was talking about. "Dispatch, we have a speeding vehicle down Main Street. Hopps and Wilde, in pursuit."

"10-4 Officer Wilde."

…

Nick regretted giving himself two hours to prepare. He made a carrot stew that Judy would like as well as a bowl of mixed vegetables. The downside is that he still had an hour and only needed about half of that time to groom himself, so he'd end up drowning in his own thought.

He didn't waste any time and got in the shower. He decided to take a bit more time so he could look extra clean. He normally did his thinking while in the shower and this time was no different. What if she doesn't like me or the movie I chose for us to watch? I'm taking things way too quickly. You never invite a girl to your house on the first date.

The devil appeared on his shoulder once again. Are you blind or stupid? Have you not seen the way she acts around you? She totally wants you! Nick cringed at the wording but started to calm down a bit. When he was fully calmed down, he shampooed and conditioned, which he only did on special occasions. Usually, shampoo was enough to look presentable. When he rinsed it all out of his fur, he turned off the shower and got out. No detail was overlooked in his grooming. Every fur he could reach was shiny and in place, it was super soft, and his tail was extra fluffy. He knew Judy loved fluffy things so he just assumed she'd enjoy his tail being so fluffy.

When he was finally done, he walked into his room and got dressed. He decided to wear a pair of black pants and a nice, non-floral polo shirt. This is different. I never dress like this. When he was fully ready, there were about fifteen minutes left until seven. He went into the kitchen and moved their food into the dining room with five minutes to spare. He decided to sit in the living room and browse Furbook for a few minutes.

His browsing was cut short when he heard an urgent knocking at the door. He didn't even look through the peephole before opening the door. "Judy! Are you crazy? Get in here now." While Nick was getting ready, the temperature in Zootopia fell well below zero. Judy had arrived at his house in a very light sweater and from the looks of things, was incredibly cold. Nick did not lead her into the kitchen, he lead her into the living room. He sat down and patted the seat next to him. She sat down and started shaking.

To stop her, Nick wrapped his arms around her torso and his tail around her waist. Judy, being surprised by his action tried to talk. "N-Nick, what are you d-doing?" Nick felt bad for her. She felt frigid.

"Shhh. Don't talk. I don't really have many blankets and I'm trying to help you warm up. I hope this isn't too weird for you." She shook her head and they sat in silence for the next few minutes. She held onto his tail like it meant life or death, and she wanted to live. Truth be told, she could have sat there like that for ages, she was just scared to say anything to Nick.

When Nick finally regained his tail, he gently nudged Judy to tell her to get up. She grumbled quietly but obliged. They walked into the dining room together and sat across from each other. "Nick! This looks incredible. Are you sure you made this?"

Nick was a bit shocked at her surprise. His fur spiked up a bit on end. "Yee of little faith. Yes, I did make it. I hope you like it." They sat there in relative silence as they ate. Judy loved the stew he made and every so often had a berry or two. When they were done eating, Nick told Judy to sit in the living room while he took care of dishes. He decided to take the extra fruit into the living room for them to eat while watching the movie. When he was attempting to put the soup away, disaster struck.

Judy heard a yelp coming from the kitchen and rushed in to see what happened to Nick. She stifled a laugh when she saw Nick on the floor, covered in soup. "Nick, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit soupy." He smirked, causing Judy to smile. He was okay or at least his stupid humor was okay. The silliest things that Nick could do would make her laugh. "Could you give me a few minutes? I'm going to go downstairs and take a quick shower, then I'll come back and clean this mess up." Judy nodded.

As soon as she heard the shower start, she searched for a mop in a nearby closet. She started to clean the floor while humming Try Anything. Both Nick and Judy finished cleaning around the same time. Judy was proud of her work but Nick was shocked when he saw that she cleaned it. "Judy, you did not need to do that. I would have done it."

"I know I didn't have to. I just wanted to help a friend. You probably burnt yourself from that soup and I wanted to take part of the burden of cleaning off your back." He nodded a thank you and lead Judy into the living room.

"So Fluff, how do you feel about horror movies?" Her eyes widened and her brows furrowed. She hated horror movies. She was scared way too easily. Nick saw the worry on her face. "I'm just kidding. I was thinking we could watch Wreck-It Rhino."

"I'm glad that you can laugh at my expense." Judy was now smiling too. Nick had the most contagious smile. "Yeah, that movie sounds fine. I've heard it's pretty good."

Nick was shocked that she had never seen it and started it right away. Neither really spoke while the movie was playing, only a few odd remarks here and there. When the movie reached its climax, Nick could hear a rumbling sound coming from beside him. Judy was fast asleep and leaning against his shoulder. That has to be the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Better not say that to her or you might have more soup to clean up. It was true, She would kick him so hard in the gut if he called her cute. Nick decided to move Judy into a more comfortable position where her head was laying on his lap. When the movie was over and Nick knew that she was in deep sleep, he picked her up. He carried her into the guest room that was right next to his bedroom. He tucked her in and planted a light kiss on her forehead. He left a note saying, "I'm in the next room if you need anything. Don't hesitate to wake me up if you do." He fished her phone out of her pocket and placed it on the stand next to the note. On his way out, he whispered, "Sleep well, Judy." He closed the door very carefully as to not wake Judy.

It was in that moment that he realized that he needed to tell her at the first opportunity available. I'll talk to her in the morning. He made it to his bed and fell asleep almost instantly. He was so emotionally exhausted and just needed a decent night's sleep.

…

Nick rarely ever had a dream when he fell asleep. He usually woke up too many times for a dream to even get started. This night was different. He actually had a dream, a nightmare. He wasn't aware of it but his sleeping body was curled into the fetal position with the blankets thrown everywhere.

At first, the dream seemed relatively normal. Patrol's around Savannah Central with his partner Judy. Things quickly took a darker turn. They were chasing a pair of wolves who appeared to be dealing drugs to minors. They chased them for blocks and Nick was beginning to get worn out, but Judy was right on their tail.

They finally got the two wolves cornered in an alley. Both Nick and Judy were approaching slowly with raised tranq pistols. "Both of you, on the ground, now!" Judy was scary when she gave orders. One of the wolves complied but the other, an arctic wolf, quickly pulled out a pistol and shot Judy multiple times.

Nick had no idea of what came next because he was jolted out of his dream. He was shaking beyond his control and was drenched in sweat. He laid there for a while, crying about how real the dream felt. I can't show this side of me to Judy. She'd just laugh at me. After a half an hour, Nick got up and decided to make some breakfast for him and Judy. She'd be getting up soon.


	2. The Call

**AN: There might be three chapters this week. I already have the first three written but I've been rewriting them before posting. I've fought a decent amount with this, but I hope you enjoy what I have to offer this time.**

Judy's thoughts

Judy woke up, panicked. _Where am I? This isn't my apartment._ After finding her phone and turning it on to check the time, she read the note Nick had left her. _Oh, I'm in Nick's house still._ She couldn't properly remember the events of the previous night.

The smell of food was enticing and drew her into the kitchen. Nick noticed her before she could say anything. "Good morning Carrots. I hope you're hungry; I made some pancakes for us." She walked into the light and Nick could see just how tired she was. She was slouching and had very noticeable bags under her eyes. "I have some coffee brewing on the counter. You look like you need something to help wake you up. _I am unusually tired. What happened last night?_

"Nick, what happened last night? I can't really remember anything." Neither had anything to drink and Nick got slightly worried but wore his usual smirk.

"Oh, nothing. You could say things got _Wilde_." Judy's face went red instantly. Her eyes widened and her paws started shaking. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little bit terrified.

"No. No, we couldn't have. Please tell me we didn't." It wasn't that Judy didn't like Nick. She very much did, but she didn't want to rush into anything.

Nick chuckled and placed his paw on her shoulder. "We didn't, so you can calm down." She glared at him. _Nicholas Piberious Wilde! You. Are. Dead._ She punched him in the arm. "Ow!" She hadn't meant to punch him that hard but didn't really care, she was furious.

"How dare you make a joke like that?"

Nick was terrified and slightly aroused. He kind of liked angry Judy. "I'm sorry Fluff. We didn't do anything like that last night." She calmed down a bit. "I invited you over for a date then we watched a movie. You fell asleep on me so I carried you to the guest room and tucked you in." Her cheeks grew red again. _I can't believe I fell asleep on him. I'm never going to live this down._ Nick noticed her embarrassment. "Don't worry about it. You didn't bother me in any way."

"What time did I even fall asleep? I haven't felt this tired since I was in the academy." She had spent many nights at the academy training until the sun started to rise again. She had to pass.

"Around ten thirty." _That makes no sense. I usually go to sleep even later than that and feel less tired than I do now._

A small angel appeared on her shoulder. _Perhaps you didn't sleep well because of Nick. He was on your mind the whole night, even if you were unconscious._

…

They both ate in relative silence. The whole time Nick was just thinking about how to say what was on his mind. When they were both full, Nick led Judy into the living room so they'd be comfortable.

Nick sighed. _I wonder what he has on his mind. He seems nervous._ "So, Judy. This isn't going to be easy for me to say." Judy was surprised that he used her name. She knew that whatever he was going to say would be serious. "I've been terrified of this moment for far too long. Replaying different scenes with different outcomes in my head countless times." He sighed again but did not talk, he started to shake.

She placed her paw in his and squeezed it. "Nick, you can tell me anything."

After a moment, Nick calmed down, but he still held onto Judy's paw. "Judy, I absolutely love being around you. I could not work at the ZPD with anyone else, get coffee with anyone else, or even be this happy around anyone else. I have really liked you for quite some time but I was too scared to say anything to you for fear of ruining our friendship."

She tried her best to hold back the tears and keep a straight face. "You've done far more than ruin our friendship." Nick looked horrified and heartbroken. He was on the verge of tears until Judy pounced on him. "I wouldn't even call it a friendship anymore." She was hugging him so tight that he was starting to go lightheaded.

He chuckled, struggling for breath. "You're hugging a bit too tight." She loosened her grip but didn't let go.

"Remember when we caught Flash for spreading almost a year ago and how I said that I knew I loved you? I meant that then and I mean it now." Judy couldn't hold it back anymore. She started crying into Nick's shirt. Nick teared up a little bit but had the biggest smile on his face. He'd look like a maniac to anyone who didn't know what just happened, and the fact that he was hugging a bunny didn't help.

They would have hugged much longer but Judy's phone rang. "Huh, that's odd. They usually would've called last night" After a moment the realization sunk in. "Nick, this is bad. My phone was off so I missed their calls. Don't make a sound. If my dad sees you, he might flip out." Nick nodded and Judy picked up the phone.

"Hey! It's my mom!" She put on the fakest smile she could manage and tried to sound excited to talk to her parents.

"Judy! Where were you last night? We tried calling fifteen times!" _Fifteen! How did I not notice this?_ "Stu! You don't need to pack the bags. She's safe." Bonnie was right. Judy was safe with Nick being around. "So where were you then?"

"Sorry, my phone was off last night. I didn't want it to interrupt my date." Bonnie raised her eyebrows in awe.

"Oh, a date. Who's the lucky buck?" Judy cringed. She looked over at Nick who nodded. She hadn't realized it but, she gave Bonnie the perfect view of him. "On second though, Stu, she isn't safe! Pack the bags." Judy could hear her father question Bonnie. "There's some _fox_ in her house." She spat fox with more than enough venom to kill even the biggest elephant. Both Nick and Judy shuddered at her tone.

"Mom! I will have you know that you are talking about Nick. He's my partner on the force and now my boyfriend." Bonnie looked shocked at first but quickly became angry.

"No, he is not. You are not going to trick my daughter and fool around with her. I don't care who you are, fox, but you better get away from her."

"Mom! He is the nicest mammal I've ever met. I'm not a kit anymore. I am an adult and I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions."

"This is a wrong decision. I don't trust any fox. They're all the same"

"Shut it. You can not talk to him like that!"

"Don't you dare speak to me like that." Judy was screaming on the inside. She knew this call could not end happily.

"I don't care what you or anyone else says. I love Nick and a few speciests are not going to change that." She looked at Nick who seemed even more worried than her.

Bonnie muted the call and started talking with Stu who had just appeared. They looked to be arguing. When they unmuted the call, Bonnie started to talk in an unsettlingly calm voice. "You leave us no choice. For as long as you are dating that filth of nature, you are not my daughter." And with that, the video went black and Judy dropped her phone.

She burst into tears and Nick wrapped his arms around her. She was violently shaking. "Judy, please calm down. I'm here for you." That didn't help at all. She started sobbing even harder. Nick chose to stay quiet and just hold her until she calmed down.

After a few minutes of crying, Nick picked her up and carried her into his room. She tried to question him but he spoke before she could form a coherent sentence. "Don't worry, I'm just relocating us to my bedroom. I think it will be a lot more comfortable for both of us there. Plus if you fall asleep, you're already in bed." _I need to stop crying, it's making him feel weird._

Judy tried to speak through the sobs but it was somewhat difficult to understand at first. "I'm sorry… about making you… do this." Nick shook his head and gently kissed the top of her head.

"Don't say you are sorry. You already have enough to worry about, you don't need to add being sorry to that list." Judy nodded as Nick laid her in his bed. She couldn't get over the smell of his room. _I don't know if I'll even be able to leave this room. It smells so strongly of Nick._ Nick crawled into the bed next to her and held her close, kissing the top of her head from time to time.

When Judy physically couldn't cry anymore, she passed out.

…

Just like the previous night, Judy had a dream. Only this time, it was a nightmare.

They were in BunnyBurrow. Nick was dressed nicely and Judy, for once, was wearing a dress. This was the day her parents would finally meet Nick. The ride to BunnyBurrow had taken almost three hours and they were tired. Judy was scared to see their reaction and Nick was a bit nervous. He needed to get them to like him at any cost. They approached the Hopps' family farm and kits were playing all around the yard. There was a shout from a few of the kits, "Hi Judy!" She would wave in response but they had a mission.

When they approached the door, she knocked and Stu was the one who answered it. "Judy!" He was surprised to see her and hugged her.

"Too tight, can't breathe." He let go of her. Nick stuck out his paw to shake his hand but he didn't take it.

"Why are you here? Don't you have mammals to rob?" _Well, at least he didn't tase him._

"I'm actually a police officer. I work with your daughter, she's my partner." Nick smiled a bit but Stu kept a completely straight face.

"I can't believe they let a shifty fox into the ZPD. Did you have to trick your way in?" Judy had heard far more than enough already.

"Dad! This 'shifty fox' has a name, it's Nick. He's the best mammal I've met. He's saved my life countless times and I trust no one more than him. Also," she sighed, "He's my boyfriend." She wasn't sure what Stu was thinking but his expression went from shocked to outraged. Judy went inside to talk to her mother but Nick stayed outside. Stu wouldn't let him in. Nick was a bit scared that this wasn't going to end well.

When Stu returned with a knife, pure terror ran through Nick's veins. He went into fight or flight mode and chose flight. Judy would never forgive him if he hurt her father. Stu was surprisingly fast though and caught up with Nick quickly. He grabbed Nick and put the knife to his throat. "You can't hurt my daughter anymore." And with that, Nick was gone. Stu just laid his husk of a body on the ground and walked back in. Judy had no idea what was going on outside but the talk with her mother was going slightly better than the one with her father. When they were almost done talking Stu walked in with a bloody knife. "Don't worry Judy, you're safe now." She cocked her head in confusion but ran outside as the situation revealed itself to her. She found Nick lying on the ground, lifeless. She just started screaming and crying.

"Judy! Judy! Wake up!" She was jolted awake and covered in sweat. She had no idea what time it was other than, dark.

"Judy, you fell asleep and just a few minutes ago started to stir. I thought you were just waking up but then you started screaming. What happened?"

"I had a nightmare where I was introducing you to my parents in BunnyBurrow." She started to cry a little.

"Did it not go well?"

"They… they k-killed you. My dad did. I was so scared, I don't want to lose you." Nick pulled her as close as possible.

"You won't. I would stand by you until the end of the world if I could." She stopped crying and actually smiled. She was so happy that Nick could make her happy, but his next action would make her even happier. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. Just a light peck but it sent her into an entirely different realm of pure bliss. "You should go back to sleep. You'll be too tired to work if you don't."

She slapped his arm. "You can't just lightly kiss me then tell me to go to sleep. It's not fair." Nick shrugged and went in for a longer, more passionate kiss.

"Better?"

"Better." Then they both fell asleep together.

 **Well, there it is. Another chapter will be released in the next few days, I'll see you then.**


	3. The Crash

**I must apologize for the delay in getting this chapter published. It's been almost finished for a few weeks but I never really had the motivation to proofread it and publish it. That paired with drivers training and a pretty bad migraine made it difficult to finish. I will try my best to release chapter four within the next week. Thank you for your patience.**

Nick's thoughts

"ZPD, Officer Clawhouser speaking."

"Hey, It's me, Nick."

"Oh, hi Nick. Why didn't you call my personal phone?"

Nick looked towards the room where Judy was still sleeping and thought of an excuse. "My phone died and I couldn't really remember your number. Anyway, is Bogo in?"

"Yeah, would you like me to put you through to him?"

"Better not. I have some important things to discuss with him and it would be best if I just came in."

"Alright, I'll tell him to expect you soon. See you around."

"Yep, see ya." The line went dead and Nick walked into his room to make himself somewhat presentable. While changing, he heard stirring from the once sleeping Judy. He walked over towards the bed and kneeled next to her. "Go back to sleep. I need to do a few things and then I'll be back. If you need anything, you know my number." She didn't listen and sat up.

"Nick! We work today. I can't go back to sleep."

"You can and you will. I'm sorry to tell you, but you are in no condition to work." She gave him a sad bunny face. _She knows that is my one weakness._ Nick sighed, "You aren't going to win this time. You need to recover, emotionally." He felt bad for making Judy stay back.

"Fine!" She crossed her arms and laid back down.

Nick left her, frustrated that she argued with him. _I can't stay mad at her._ He got over the frustration quickly and got into his car.

…

Nick would have made it to the precinct much faster had he not had to pull over a mammal. A raccoon blew through a red light and Nick had to give them a ticket. When he finally got to the ZPD, it was about a half an hour later than he had planned.

He made his way up towards Chief Bogo's office and knocked. "Come in." The chief's voiced boomed through the hallway. Nick opened the door and walked in. _Even after a year, the chairs are still too tall for me and Judy._ He didn't think much more of it and climbed into the chair. He raised his paw to talk but Chief Bogo spoke up first. "You're late and we don't have that much free time. Make this quick."

Nick nodded. "I just have two things. One, Judy and I would like to request this week off." The chief narrowed his eyes. "I also need to inform you that Hopps and I are in a romantic relationship."

Chief Bogo put his face in his hooves. "And why do I care?" He didn't tell Nick, but he had a large pile of money in the betting pool. Everyone had money in it.

"We are supposed to inform our superiors about this type of thing and Judy would never be able to hide it. I just figured this would be the best way to do it."

"I will permit it, so long as it doesn't interfere with your work." Nick was celebrating on the inside. "Might I ask, why are you two taking the week off?"

Nick smirked as he thought of a fun response but dismissed it. "Judy's parents disowned her for dating me and she took it hard. It could very easily get in the way of work."

"That leaves you, why are you taking off work?"

"She's my partner. Partners stick together no matter what. I have to help her."

"I don't need to hear any more. You two may have the break. Now, leave." Nick did not need to be told twice. He walked out of the room and made his way towards the front desk. He decided to talk to the cheetah at the front desk, Clawhouser.

"Hey Benji. How's it going."

"Pretty good, you?"

"Fine. Hopps and I will be taking the week off."

Clawhousers usually swaying tail dropped to the floor. "Why?" He looked sad. The majority of the amusement he got throughout the day was from watching the antics of Nick and Judy.

"Judy's parents disowned her for dating me, I need to help… You okay?" Clawhouser looked like he was about to explode.

"O M GOODNESS!" _I messed up, oh no. This is bad._ Every officer was either looking at the pair or headed towards them. His screams could probably be heard by Judy, miles away. "Ladies and gentlemen, it finally happened! The ship has set sail!" Many officers cheered. The vast majority of them had money to collect.

The chief's voice echoed through the precinct. "I don't care what's going on! Everyone back to work, now!" The crowd quickly dissipated. Nick just glared at the cheetah that was bouncing in his seat.

"You. Are. Dead." He crossed his arms and walked away. He didn't even want to hear Benjamin's response.

...

 _WHY!?_ Nick's day was not going even remotely how he had hoped it would. On his way home, he lost traction on some ice and crashed his car. A ZPD mechanic showed up at the scene. "Luckily you weren't going too fast. This should only take a few days to fix." There was a large dent on the driver's side and scratches everywhere.

"How much do you think it will cost?"

"Couple hundred dollars." Nick nodded and sighed. "You might want to go to the hospital." Nick cocked his head at the mechanic but soon understood why he had said it. A stabbing pain shot through his leg and he saw blood rushing out of it. Nick was never good with blood, especially his own. His vision blurred and he passed out.

…

Nick found himself in an odd environment when he woke up. He wasn't in a hospital or at home. _This place seems familiar._ As he walked around, his location became clearer to him. He found a casket and knew exactly where he was. He was at the same funeral home that his mother's funeral took place at. _What is going on? Why am I here?_

He didn't have to question for long as a few mammals started to enter the room. He saw Judy walk in and went over to ask her if she knew what was going on. "Judy, do you know what's going on?" She didn't even know Nick was there. He decided to walk beside her. She started crying when the casket was opened and Nick felt sick to his stomach. He was attending his own funeral.

He began to get lightheaded at the sight of his own, lifeless body lying in the casket. He walked away from it and toward the entrance where he noticed a familiar figure. _I haven't seen him in over ten years!_ He was shocked to see that his father cared about him enough to attend his funeral. Half the police force followed his father in a line to speak to Judy and to mourn the loss of one of their best. Hearing Judy crying but trying to speak about him made Nick tear up. He shed a single tear.

He tried to listen to the conversation between Judy and his father, John. "He was always so supportive of me. He…" He couldn't hear the rest of what Judy was saying. He didn't hear anything else after that. He saw his girlfriend and his father hug and his vision went black.

…

He woke up in a completely white room on one of the most uncomfortable beds he'd ever laid on. "Ah, Mr. Wilde, you're awake." A zebra, presumably a nurse, walked over to him. "We stitched up your leg while you were asleep."

"How long was I out for?" He looked around the room but could not find a clock.

"Five hours. It's currently two in the afternoon, if you are wondering." Nick's day was completely wasted by a stupid accident.

"When can I leave?"

"You have a few papers to fill out, then you can leave." She handed him a stack of paperwork and walked out of the room. Nick didn't want to waste any time and got to work immediately. After a few minutes, the nurse returned. "I have a Judy Hopps who would like to visit you. Is that okay?"

Nick smiled for the first time that day. "Yes! Bring her in please." She turned around and beckoned Judy into the room. She knew the look on their faces and decided it would be best for her to leave them alone for a bit. "Carrots! Are you doing okay?"

She lightly punched him in the arm and kissed him before he could respond. "Why are you worried about me? You got injured, I should be asking you the questions. So, are you okay?"

"I don't appreciate your abuse." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm doing fine. I assume that I'm on pain medication though, so I'm not totally sure how much pain I'm supposed to be in." He noticed the look on Judy's face and answered her question before she could ask it. "I can tell what you are thinking. I'll be able to leave as soon as I turn in these forms." Judy grabbed the forms from him and left to turn them in.

After a few minutes, she returned with a wheelchair and a pair of crutches. "Either I wheel you out or you use the crutches. Your choice." Nick decided to use the crutches. He'd rather not be seen in a wheelchair, especially with a bunny pushing him. As much as he loved Judy, he would never live it down. With some trouble, Nick made it to the elevator with Judy following behind. When they made it to the ground floor, Judy dropped off the wheelchair and they exited the building together.

Judy had to drive their cruiser because Nick's car was in the shop. They made it home and Judy broke down right when they got into the door. "I got a call… That-that you were in the hospital. And I d-didn't know what to do. I thought I lost y-y-you." She could barely speak through crying. Her voice cut out and cracked many times.

"Judy, it's okay. I'm right here." Nick placed a paw around her and limped over to the couch where she laid on his chest. After a few moments, Judy started tugging at his shirt.

"Could you take that stupid thing off? There's a button digging into my ribs." Nick's fur stood on end in embarrassment. Judy saw it as an opportunity to lighten the mood by poking fun at him. "I can see the fox is getting all hot and bothered."

"Har har." Nick tilted his head slightly. "How can you tell that I'm a little embarrassed?"

"Your fur looks like it's literally trying to jump off of your skin. I'd say you are extremely embarrassed." Nick tilted his head even further.

"As to how I know, I have read pretty extensively about some of the behavioral traits of foxes." She scratched the base of his ear which elicited a purr from him. "I wasn't even sure if that would work, but it did." Nick looked mortified. _I didn't even know I could make that noise._ Judy couldn't control her laughter.

Judy laid on Nick's bare chest for hours, occasionally crying or laughing. She loved being this close to Nick. To Judy's misfortune, the day turned into night and both her and Nick were tired from the events of the day. Nick carried her into his bedroom. They both slept peacefully in each other's arms.


End file.
